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In-form United plan smash-and-grab title raid

By Chris Harris

Sunday, April 9. It was the day Jose Mourinho expected Chelsea
to clinch their second successive title. But far from being a cause
for celebration, April 9 could be the day the pendulum swings back
towards Manchester United.

When Mourinho made his prediction in February, it was
unthinkable that anyone other than the defending champions would
get their hands on the Premiership trophy. It's not so clear
cut now. While Chelsea have stuttered, United have strung together
eight wins to cut the Blues' seemingly impregnable lead to a
far less cosy seven points.

United have the momentum and they still have to visit Stamford
Bridge. However, they need to beat Arsenal at Old Trafford this
Sunday to keep up the pressure. Can they complete a remarkable
comeback and pip Chelsea to the title? The mood in Manchester is
one of quiet optimism.

"I think there is a feeling around the club that they can
for sure," says Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News.
"I was in the tunnel when United beat Bolton last weekend and
there were quite a few players who were mildly ecstatic.

"There is a feeling that they have got a chance, especially
when Chelsea are slipping up at places like Birmingham, which
should really be an away banker.

"Sir Alex Ferguson will be loving it, that's for sure.
He won't play 'mind games' with Jose Mourinho in the
way he did with someone like Kevin Keegan but it's the first
time Mourinho has been under this kind of pressure. Chelsea have
their own problems and Ferguson will happily let them stew a
little."

If the prospect of Arsenal winning the Champions League seemed a
pipe dream no more than a few months ago, the odds on United
mounting a challenge to Chelsea were even longer. The departure of
Roy Keane highlighted shortcomings in midfield and an injury to
Gary Neville left the defence vulnerable. So why are United firing
on all cylinders now?

"It's difficult to put your finger on it," says
Brennan. "They tried so many midfield combinations after Keane
got injured and then left. They didn't really know what
formation was needed. Neville's return from injury was
important because he's always been a key figure, but Wes Brown
has also come back in and steadied the ship.

"Having a settled team is probably the key and players like
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are maturing. Rooney has been
the key man all the way along and United would probably struggle if
he got injured. You wonder how he carries so much weight on his
shoulders at the age of 18 but he does.

"Edwin van der Sar has made a big difference in goal too.
He gives United the solidity they didn't have in that position
last season with Roy Carroll and Tim Howard. Louis Saha has come in
and made a big impact too."

If United cannot peg back Chelsea - and games are running out
rapidly - their recent resurgence will give them cause for optimism
when next season kicks off. However, there is still one area which
needs urgent attention in Brennan's opinion.

"Midfield is the obvious problem," he says.
"United need one, possibly two midfielders. There is a huge
black hole in there. Ryan Giggs and John O'Shea have done well
recently but you wonder what they could do if they had a player
like Claude Makelele who can sit in there and dictate the play.

"If they can get a playmaker too, that would also help to
take the pressure off. He's all over the park and always drops
deep to pick up the ball, so if someone was in there to give him
the ball in advanced positions he could do even more
damage."

Those issues will no doubt be addressed in the summer. For now,
United have their sights set on a smash-and-grab raid for the
Premiership title. Don't rule them out - after all, they've
done it before. Remember 2003?

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